Your car is made up of many different systems of interworking parts and components that must all work together in order to allow your vehicle to function well as a whole. When one or more part begins to malfunction or deteriorate it can greatly impact the reliability, durability, and longevity of your vehicle. Furthermore, it can have a lasting (and expensive) impact on other parts of your car that require extensive repair work in order to fix. Sometimes these issues can even lessen the value of your car.

Your car’s suspension is a critical component in your vehicle’s performance; it allows your car to remain off of the ground and stable during turns and going over bumps in the road. While suspension issues are common, it’s best to avoid these issues as much as possible to avoid costly repairs and diminished performance standards. When any part of the suspension breaks in your car, it’s critical to address the problem with immediacy. For instance, the rear springs in your car are a crucial element of your suspension and must be kept in proper working order at all times to avoid other problems. If you suspect there’s an issue with your car’s suspension, it could be related to broken or failing springs. Here’s a little more information on how to avoid this issue, or fix it once it’s occurred.

What Do Rear Springs Do?

Similar to your car’s shocks, rear springs are designed to absorb slight impacts due to road imperfections and bumps. They also keep your car elevated at the appropriate level away from the ground and other parts of the vehicle. When something goes wrong with the springs, you might notice more intensity when going over bumps or you may notice that your car “grinds” against the tires at times. This is problematic, as it can have damaging effects on other parts of your car.

How Do Rear Springs Break?

Rear springs can break for any number of reasons, and they can even be broken due to other suspension parts not functioning properly. However, usually rear springs break as a result of external factors. Here are some of the common reasons why your rear springs could break at any given moment.

Road Condition

Certain cars are built with stronger springs and suspension parts in order to withstand rougher terrain and road conditions. If your car isn’t made for harsh road conditions and you typically drive your car through them anyway, you could be causing serious damage to your rear springs and other suspension components. Usually one instance of harsh driving won’t ruin your suspension; however, prolonged exposure to such conditions can take a serious toll on your rear springs and total suspension package.

Driving Habits

Speed bumps are put in place to slow down drivers in specific areas such as parking lots, residential areas, and school zones, and when drivers don’t slow down for these safety bumps it can cause damage to the car’s suspension. The rear springs on your car generally aren’t designed to go over bumps at higher speeds, so it’s important to be aware of speed bumps and adequately slow down for them.

Inadequate Tire and Wheel Health

Many drivers are surprised to find out that their tire health can directly affect suspension wear. It usually begins with wheel alignment. When your wheels aren’t properly aligned, your tires begin to wear unevenly or prematurely. Since the parts of your car are calibrated specifically, alignment that’s off can have a steady impact on your suspension wear, causing parts like rear springs to malfunction after an extended period of wheel misalignment.

Affects Other Parts of the Suspension

Perhaps the most concerning part about broken rear springs in a car is the significant effects it has on other parts of the suspension, such as the struts, the steering, and the tires. This can lead to expensive repair work that could have been avoided with routine inspections and ongoing maintenance.

The Importance of Ongoing Vehicle Maintenance

Here at Dell’s Service Center, located in Green Bay, WI, we tend to focus our energy on preventive care for our clients’ vehicles. When issues come up, such as suspension problems for instance, we dedicate our efforts to accurately assessing where the problem originated. This approach keeps our clients out of the shop for regular repairs, and saves them money in the long run. Ongoing maintenance can keep your car out of the shop for problems like broken rear springs. However, if you suspect that your car has encountered a suspension issue, please don’t hesitate to contact us for an inspection. We want your car to perform optimally at all times; give us the opportunity to provide you with excellent, specialized automotive care at an affordable price.